WHAT TO DO?

 Quite often we witness a situation when this question looms large besides its being the most appropriate to portray our frame of mind. However, there are a few occasions when we raise this question as a prelude to suggesting a few remedial approaches to some problem or the other. Some funny situations come up in our life making the question relevant and spontaneous. Some such moments are: when we fail to enter sleep even after the day’s strenuous work; when after reaching a friend’s house in a remote locale we learn of his or her non-availability at home; when we undertake a journey of over 20 hours or so. The very thought is nagging when we have only the question and no specific answer there for. On the last of the occasions indicated [journey] our mind is not disturbed and it liberally runs amok hopping territories and quickly switching topics with no obligation of any kind. A number of imaginary conversations run in instant rapidity and in the process, a number of sequences unfold with an element of surrealism about them. Little does anyone else recognize our “thoughtful” experience except by our sudden peels of laughter despite our effort to hold them back. Such moments of “what to do” provide plenty of opportunities for character study. Obviously a train journey places before us a variety of characters that we cannot escape from. Rarely, we come across some intellects too. Invariably we find varying degrees of inexactitudes in expressions even in vernacular. Another common sight is irrelevance in narration. Like for instance when you say you are a teacher in a college, the new acquaintance would say “my brother is in the University”. Then you would ask “in which University?” The reply is “Madurai Teresa University”. Now we enjoy the inadequacy by saying “is it not Mother Teresa University”. “Yes sir, some such name”. We are emboldened. ‘You said your brother is there- didn’t you? But it is a women’s University’ [we put on a triumphant look].

The other man is undaunted. He says –“yes sir, he is a driver”. We ignore chances of so many avocations. Conditioned by his own congenital inadequacy the man almost declares “you teach Science and History” in the College, don’t you? We want to play truant with him saying “how did you conclude so”. Now he puts on triumphant looks and tells you, “Sir, you resemble my neighbour Mr. Namasivayam who teaches these subjects in the school. He also has a tilted tooth very much like yours. In History and Science he knows everything. All my sons are his students”. To escape from the story of the tilted tooth, we try diverting the subject asking “how many sons do you have?” I had 3 but now only 2 are with me. We slip into gloom and say “I am sorry”. The man replies, “don’t feel sorry; the third fellow is in Dubai.” We ask “What is he doing there?” “I don’t know. But he is well off. He is working for Sheikh Kalimullah and the Sheikh likes him for his English.[ To continue...]  Prof K. Raman